brooks



(No Model.) q R. M. 85 J. M. BROOKS.

UAR COUPLING.

No; 255.072. Patented Mar. 14,1882.

% I PH m ne nbe a admz mflaw UNrTEo STATES PATENT. OFFICE.

RHODOM M. BROOKS AND JAMES BROOKS, OF JENKINSVILLE, ASSIGNORS OF ONE-THIRD TO M. L. BATES AND JOHN M. WILLIAMS, OF GRIFFIN, GA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 255,072, dated March 14, 1882.

' Application filed January 30, 1885.. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, RHoDoM M. BROOKS and JAMES M. BROOKS, of Jenkinsville, in the county of Pike, and in theState of Geor gia, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Oar-Couplings; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, rel'erence being had to the accompanying drawing, and to the IO letters of reference marked thereon, making a part of this specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in car-couplers and it has for its object to provide suitable means whereby the link l may be held in position for coupling and the pin automatically dropped through thelink to couple the cars, as more fully hereinafter specified. These objects we attain by the apparatus and mechanism illustrated in the accom- 2o panying drawing, in which is represented a longitudinal sectional view of our invention;

The letter A indicates the draw-heads of our improved ear-coupler, which are identical in construction. The said draw-heads are each provided with a circular flaring opening, B, in front, to guide the link through the aperture O, behind which the pin is adapted to fall through the vertical openings D. The drawheads are recessed below, asindicated by the 0 letter E,and in the said recesses are fnlcrumed the segmental levers F, as indicated. These levers are weighted at theirlowerends, so that when in a normal position the upper end of each will fall under the upper hole, through 5 which the coupling-pin is inserted, and support the pin in position to be dropped through the link, the said lever by the insertion of thelink being thrown back so as to permit the pin to drop. The upper end of the lever is provided with a shoulder, Gr, which holds the linkhorizontally, so that it will properly enter the opposite coupling-head. The lower end of the lever is provided with a vertical aperture, Hf into which the lower end of the pin is adapted to pass when the cars have been coupled, so 5 as to release the shoulder from the link and allow the same to play freely without wear. By means oft-he circular flaringopening in the draw-heads the link is guided into the same, if the draw-head shouldbe slightly outofline, and is permitted to move freely in all directions to accommodate itself to the motion of the cars. The weight of the pin, when resting upon the lower end of the lever, will assist to hold the lever in position until thrown back by thelink when the cars come together and are coupled, the pin by the act of coupling being dropped into the aperture in the lower end of thelever,

as before mentioned.

It is evident that a car provided with our coupling device can be employed and coupled with a car provided with the ordinarybumpers, and is thus adapted to be used with the rolling-stock common to all railroads. llfthe cars should be ofdilferent heights, the coupling can be effected by using a bent coupling-link.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In combination with the shouldered and weighted lever fulcrunied in the draw-head, the coupling pin and link, the lever being provided with an aperture at its lower end, to be engaged by the pin so as to hold the lever back and keep the shoulderaway from thelink,substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures, in presence of two witnesses, this 28th day of January, 1882.

BROOKS. JAMES .M. BROOKS.

Witnesses:

J. J. MCCARTHY, EDWIN L. J EWELL. 

